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Date : approx. between 1630 and 1637
Material : Oil on canvas
| Euclid (?)
Item 4 on 16
European Painting
Painting (Portrait)
Area related
Spain
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| Description |  |
Emerging from shadow, a philosopher displays a well-born book as if he is about to illuminate its contents. The diagrams, derived from the "Elements" by Euclid, indicate that he is this ancient geometer. Imaginary portraits of ancient philosophers became popular in the 1600s with the revival of Stoic philosophy. Ribera's realism, evident in the man's tattered garb and dirty fingernails, captures the moral ideal of this doctrine: Neglect of outward appearances signifies a devotion to intellectual pursuits.
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